Core A (Administrative Core), led by the Program's Director, Paul M. Hassoun, MD, and Co-Director, Rubin M. Tuder, will provide essential administrative and secretarial support and ensure overall direction and organization of the entire Program. In addition, this Core will provide accounting support that will ensure appropriate fiscal and scientific oversight, monitoring and compliance with federal and institutional grant management regulations, the latter through several formal mechanisms. The objectives of the Administrative core are (i) centralization of all administrative actions and financial recording keeping, (ii) to assist with statistical and data processing support for the projects (iii)to prepare scientific and financial reports as required by the university and the NHLBI, (iv) to ensure that the SCCOR research meets the highest standards through periodic review by the internal and external review panels, (v) to facilitate the use of common resources, (vi)to foster exchange of scientific information and ideas, and (viii) provide the projects and cores with a review of all expenditures on a monthly basis and deal with University Accounting and Grants offices concerning grant budgets. Core A will coordinate the inter-project, and inter-departmental, collaborative arrangements and evolve new arrangements as deemed necessary for the scientific progress of the SCCOR project as a whole. Core personnel will orchestrate monthly meetings of the project leaders that will be held to discuss scientific and administrative matters. Core A will organize regular research seminars on Thursday mornings which will allow SCCOR investigators to present their work in progress to other researchers. Coordinated administrative services will ensure optimal purchasing practices, facilitate communications, and promote scientific interaction.